Born in Russia in 1977, Sergei Nakariakov first studied the piano and was obliged to give up playing it after a car accident in 1986. The nine-year-old youth chose to concentrate on playing the trumpet instead. He began studying it with his own father, from whom he acquired his remarkable technique and exceptional feel for music. His debut performance with an orchestra given at the age of only 10 was reported in the press all around Russia as “the arrival of a new big star”, and led him into the spotlight. He was soon invited to appear in Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands and New York. Wherever he performed, he astonished audiences with the exceptional virtuosity of his trumpet performances.

In 1991, Nakariakov moved with his family to Israel and made his debut at the Salzburg Festival the same year. The following year he performed for the first time at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and was awarded the Prix Davidoff. Since then he has appeared in many of the world's leading music halls
and festivals.

He has performed Shostakovich's Concerto for Trumpet and Piano with the world’s renowned artists such as Evgeny Kissin in Moscow and Finland, Tatyana Nikolaieva at the Salzburg Festival in 1991, Martha Argerich and the Lyon Opera Orchestra under Kent Nagano. Nakariakov is also very popular and has performed regularly in Japan. Recital venues are always filled with excited ardent fans, more than 800 of them rush to the autograph session after his recitals. In 1998, he recorded the theme music “Urara in the Sky” for a NHK’s popular TV serial in the morning “Ten-Urara”, followed by his screen debut in the Japanese film “Taiga no Itteki” in September 2001, for which he also played the theme music.

His recording career started in 1992 when he signed an exclusive contract with Teldec Classics International and made his CD debut at the age of 15. His recordings for Teldec include virtuoso trumpet works by Bizet, Sarasate, Tchaikovsky, Paganini and others; trumpet concertos by Haydn, Hummel, Jolivet and Tomasi; as well as three recitals and Baroque concertos by Bach, Marcello, Neruda, Telemann and Vivaldi. All these CDs became worldwide hits. He also astounded music fans around the world with his outstanding performing technique in the CD “No Limit” recorded with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Philharmonia Orchestra. In 2004, “J-Themes”, a CD featuring Japanese TV/film music was released by avex-CLASSICS.

Nakariakov has frequently visited Japan and given performances in Japan, including the concerts with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra (conducted by Saulus Sondeckis) and with La Garde Republicaine Band in 2001, participation in “The Argerich's Meeting Point in Beppu” in 2002 and 2008, and the world premiere of contemporary musical works composed specifically for Nakariakov as soloist by Jorg Widmann. He has been exploring the other possibilities of trumpet.

Nakariakov now lives in Paris, France. He plays on “Antoine Courtois” trumpets, including the 4-valved “Nakariakov Model” flugelhorn specially made for him.